WEEKEND UPDATES

GOA TABLEAUX  AT BHARAT PARV

    The much awaited Bharat Parv is a cultural extravaganza  organised by the Ministry of Defence (govt of India) ahead of the Republic Day Cultural pageantry. It got under way at the Red Fort in New Delhi on January 23, 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated it. It showcases the rich, varied cultural diversity of India. The Tableau of Goa has been displayed at Bharat Parv based on the theme Vikasit Goa, Vikasit Bharat, depicting Tapaloka Yog Kshetra, Goa’s Marine Life and Jal Jeevan Mission.

Ponda artist Sushant Khedekar has conceptualized, designed and fabricated tis tableaux which be on display till January 31, 2024. Bharat Parv has been taking place since 1016 in the capital and all states of India participate in this event which features food , handicrafts, folk and tribal music performances and much more. Worth going to Delhi to take in the sights of Bharat Parv!

National Tourism Day

ON the occasion of National Tourism Day the Department of Tourism, Govt of Goa, launched the “Beach Vigil App” — an innovative solution to enhance beach management and address various beach-related issues on January 25, 2024. The app was launched in the presence of Minister for Tourism, Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, & Printing and Stationery Rohan A Khaunte,  Suneel Anchipaka (IAS, Director and MD of GTDC) and Revati Kumar (CEO & ED, Goa Electronics).

The Beach Vigil App focuses on timely reporting and resolution of issues that can arise on beaches. It provides a user-friendly interface. The app empowers individuals to report various concerns relating to beach activities quickly and effectively, be it of drinking on the beach, unauthorized extensions of deck beds, hawkers selling items or food on the beach, or any other violation. Users of the app may report in, it may be downloaded from Play Store. Any other concerns or violations can be swiftly reported through the app by dialing the Goa Tourism Helpline Number 1364.

LOWER TURNOUT IN URBAN AREAS! 

THERE is a notable disparity in voter participation between urban and rural areas, with a lower turnout observed in urban areas, said Ramesh Verma (IAS, Chief Electoral Officer). He was speaking at an Inter-Collegiate Street Play competition on the Theme: “Urban Apathy Among Youth Towards Elections” organized by  the Office of Chief Electoral Officer Goa in collaboration with Directorate of Higher Education & Government College of Arts, Science & Commerce, Sanquelim  at Azad Maidan, Panaji on January 25, 2024.  

He further emphasized that the recent election data clearly illustrates a distinct trend. It shows that individuals in rural areas consistently turn out to cast their votes, while there is a concerning low response from the urban populace, including areas like Panjim, Margao, Taleigao, Fatorda. This observation is particularly perplexing given that urban residents are generally more educated and have access to information through  newspapers and television channels. Despite their awareness, there persists a notable reluctance among urban dwellers to actively engage in the voting process.

       He encouraged participants who haven’t registered in the voter list to complete their enrolment online through the official website. Additionally, he shared that there are a total of 11, 66,939 voters in Goa. Present on the occasion were Triveni Velip (Joint CEO), Sneha Gitte (IAS, North Goa Collector), Prof Dr Grevasio SFL Mendes (Principal, Government College, Sanquelim) and other concerned persons.

    There was a street play competition in which 15 colleges participants. The judges panel Sneha Naik (journalist and writer),  Cezar D’mello (former member secretary of Tiatr Academy of Goa) and Vaibhav Kalangutkar (managing Partner of Event Basket and well-known street play artiste).  Nirmala Institute of Education in Panaji secured the first prize, the second prize went to VVM’s Govind Ramnath Kare College of Law, and the third prize was bagged by Government College of Arts, Science, and Commerce (GCASCS) in Sanquelim. PES’s Ravi S Naik College of Arts & Science won the first consolation prize, while the second consolation prize was secured by Goa College of Music, Altinho.

SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS!

 CHIEF MINISTER Dr Pramod Sawant has  unveiled the Empanelment of Social Media Influencers portal, marking a significant milestone in Goa’s approach to digital engagement. Present at the launch event were Delilah Lobo (Vice-Chairperson, Entertainment Society of Goa) and Ankita Mishra (IAS, CEO, ESG). The empanelment  showcases the state’s commitment to use the power of social media for effective governance. The primary objective of the portal is to enhance the outreach of Government initiatives, schemes, and services by inviting registrations from Goan Social Media Influencers until 5:00 pm on February 14, 2024. The CM while addressing the media, encouraged aspiring social media enthusiasts of Goa to register on the portal and join the Goa Government’s promotional team. The portal, accessible at esg.co.in, serves as a dynamic platform for influencers to actively contribute to the promotion of government schemes and policies.  For more information and to register, visit esg.co.in.

NATIONAL YOUTH WEEK 2024

KALA Academy Goa’s College of Theatre Arts, in collaboration with the Directorate of Higher Education, Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, Directorate of Planning, Statistics & Evaluation, and Directorate of Information and Publicity, marked the celebration of National Youth Week 2024 on January 16, 2024 at the RGKM Conference Hall.

 This event, commemorating the Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, India’s esteemed spiritual and social leader, unfolded from 2.30 pm to 4.00 pm. The program featured three enlightening sessions led by distinguished resource persons. Pradnya Bhat, a chartered accountant and entrepreneur, underscored the importance of financial management during challenges, emphasising the significance of concepts like SIP, Term Plans, and Health Insurance.

Dr Kalpa Govekar, a psychiatrist and mindset coach, advised students to strike a balance between work and life while advocating for the removal of toxic influences without guilt. In the final session, Deepti Goankar (Deputy Director in the Directorate of Higher Education) explained various government schemes, job opportunities, and highlighted the significance of the GPSC exam and Goa Staff Selection Commission.

VMSCL LEX INFINITUM 2024

THE 9th Edition of Lex Infinitum 2024 hosted by the VM Salgaocar College of Law (VMSCL) concluded on January 20, 2024, with a spectacular valedictory ceremony following three days of rigorous competition among 24 negotiating teams and 12 mediators. Chief guest for the evening was Justice Bharat Pandurang Deshpande. Bhasker Nayak, the adviser of education for VM Salgaocar was also a part of the event.

The coveted honour of “First Place for Mediator” was won by the Naimisha Tayi from the National Law University of Odisha along with a cash prize of Rs20,000, a trophy and a certificate, with Amelia Chua Sun from the National Law University of Singapore coming in second, winning a cash prize of Rs10,000 along with trophy and certificate.

With regards to the negotiating teams, the  final round and therefore the overall competition was won by Charmaine Chong and Harindrar Jayanthinathan from the National University of Singapore, the team acquiring a cash prize of Rs50,000 plus  trophy and certificate; runners-up cash prize of Rs25,000 went to Binithi Nethanja Perera and  Kaif Sally from General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka.

Judge of the High Court of Bombay in Goa, Bharat Pandurang Deshpande congratulated all the participants, saying: “Becoming a winner depends not only on their own efforts, but also on the work of the team that comes second or third.”   He added, “Winning and losing are not part of our job. We, as the guardians of the judicial system, must perform at all levels without regard for victory or defeat.”

 Bhaskar Nayak, adviser of education for VM Salgaocar Corporation and Vice-Chairperson of the Devi Sharwani Education Society’s governing board, reflected on how Lex Infinitum was founded nine years ago under the guidance of Dr Prasad, their college principal at the time. Dr Shaber Ali reflected back on the event’s previous eight months and commended the students and faculty members of Lex Infinitum 2024 for their unwavering commitment, hard work, determination, and spirit of cooperation and coordination.

Eshaan Patil, President of Lex Infinitum, cited Thomas Muller, saying, “Success is not about being the greatest, it’s about doing your best.”  The event concluded with Dr Shruti Kamat Dalal (Director of Lex Infinitum 2024) offering a special thanks to the distinguished experts Denise Shaw, Inan Gupta, Adv EO Mendes, Adv Gideon Noronha, and Associate Prof Dr BS Patel, who precisely crafted the problems, giving opportunity for the participants to negotiate.

SRI RAM CELEBRATIONS IN PORVORIM

ON January 22, 2024 at 6pm in the evening the Department of Tourism (government of Goa) held an enlightening Sri Ram Jyoti event to celebrate and honor the historic occasion of the  Ram Temple consecration or “pran pratishtha” in Ayodhya. This is a significant event in the nation’s history and present for the occasion were Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways & Tourism, Government of India  Shripad Naik, also  Minister for Tourism Rohan A Khaunte, Rajya Sabha MP  Sadanand Shet Tanavade.  ZP of Penha de Franca Kavita Gupesh Naik, Sarpanch of Penha de Franca  Sapnil Chodankar and Sarpanch of Socorro Panchayat Sonia Pednekar were also present. The evening of lights fittingly embraced Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of celebrating the Sri Ram Mandir  in the spirit of Diwali. There was a performance in which over 150 students chanted shlokas, Ram Stotra’s and performed an aarti similar to the Ganga aarti. A special Dindi performance thrilled the audience. Bhajan Sandhya followed to establish a spiritual atmosphere amongst the devotees. The Dindi performance was by Ram Gajar and 1,000 diya were lit by local women in traditional attire. The maha-aarti was followed by distribution of prasad and a fireworks display.

KHANS OF BOLLYWOOD

THOUGH not invited film actors Salman Khan and Sharukh Khan have rushed to Ayodhya. They paid homage to Ram Lalla at the new temple at Ayodhya. Aamir Khan who has always been independent has not gone to Ayodhya. Salman and Sharukh who are the top stars in Bollywood do not want to give the impression that they do not support Narendra Modi. Mostly Hindi film stars were invited for the “pran prathistha.” The TV channels were on overdrive covering the Bollywood stars visit to Ayodhya as if they were expressing loyalty to Bharat. Sharukh sported a huge tilak while Salman only a small red dot on his forehead.

NEW ERA FOR BHARAT

PRIME Minister Modi has claimed that the soul of Bharat has been consecrated.  Independence gives freedom only to the body. Modi insisted that he has maintained some thousand year old tradition of Hinduism. The Union Cabinet passed a resolution calling Modi “Jan Nayak.” Modi has also been called Vishwaguru after the G20 summit meetings in India.  

`MANUSMRITI’ OF  MANU, LAW-GIVER

EVEN the courts have started citing the ancient “Manusmriti.” Manu was a law-giver during the times of the “Mahabharata.” Reportedly, Manu’s laws were in accordance with Hindu religious beliefs in the early medieval ages. The high court of Ranchi quoted from the “Manusmriti”  in a case and denied maintenance to a wife who had left her husband.

THANE VIOLENCE

FOLLOWIGN the “pran prathista” in Ayodhya there have been incidents of communal clashes in the Thane district of Maharashtra. They were witnessed in Nayanagar which has a dominant Muslim population. The police claim that a Sri Ram procession was attacked. The area has a history of communal violence. It may be remembered that there were widespread clashes after the demolition of the Babri Masjid. It is well known that post-Godhra too Muslims were target by Hindu  groups.

DOCTOR’S PRESCRIPTIONS!

THE high court of Bombay has asked doctors to write their prescriptions in bold letters. The handwriting of most doctors is very bad and illegible. Only the pharmacists seem to understand the prescriptions of doctors.Patients are usually in the dark about their medicines. The high court has now mandated that prescriptions should be written in bold letters to make them readable by anyone. Some doctors though have switched over to the digital mode so there is no question of hand writing anything. Details of the patient are fed into a computer and so are the prescriptions, a copy goes to the patient while original remains on doctor’s computer for records till the next visit by the patient.   

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